"Are you going to pick it up? It's just a watch."
"You don't get it, my grandfather carried this every single day, he kept it wound religiously and checked it constantly. If I touched it, even accidentally, then I would get punished." His hand hovers over the pocket watch on the table. "He wasn't a nice grandpa, he was a scary man."
"What's the deal with this thing anyways?"
"He got this when he worked for the railroad. He told stories of traveling all over the country when he was young, apparently some parts of the railroad are through remote wilderness. He made it sound like exploring some exotic world of mysteries and strange characters. It think he just had a lot of time to read."
Michael gazed at the watch. "He used to say, 'As long as the clock ticks, I'll be keeping watch' like it was a cosmic mission to keep the trains on time."
He picks up the empty manilla envelope again, flipping it over as of some clue might jump out.
"Why did they just bring this to me? Is that even legal?"
"Dude, he said he was an attorney. It was in the will, it's yours now. If you don't want it I bet we could sell it."
"No." Michael grabs the watch. It is cold against his palm, the fine crafted chain seems to hug his hand.
"See, was that so bad? Does it work?"
Michael held it to his ear, shook it and listened again.
"It needs to be wound." He hesitates.
He had watched his grandfather William, he didn't like being called grandpa, wind this watch a million times. Though he had never touched the watch, the act happens naturally. His hands moved automatically to pop the pin out and his heart raced. He rolls the pin smoothly, hearing the familiar sound, then set the pin again.
As the mechanism comes to life the faint whir and click sends chills through his body.
"You alright man?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You've been standing there frozen for three hours."
"What?"
"Just kidding, but you did zone out for a minute. I have to go to work though, you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine. This has just been, unexpected."
"Yeah dude, just give me a call if you need anything."
"I'll be fine." Michael said as he tried to tuck the watch into his vest pocket. Realizing that he isn't wearing a vest he tries to set it back on the table but changes his mind and puts it in his jeans pocket.
After staring at the TV for half an hour and not absorbing a word, Michael searches to occupy his mind. He cannot shake the uneasiness. He shouldn't have the watch, he's not allowed to touch it.
He tries to put it away in a desk drawer but then takes it back out. He tries to put it away in half a dozen other locations but can't seem to walk away without picking it back up.
Leaving his bedroom he hears a distinct sound behind him and turns to see nothing out of the ordinary. William was often very quiet and still, he could sit in a room without speaking sometimes all day. He would gaze into the distance and smoke, with every new unfiltered cigarette the strike of his steel windproof lighter. It was unmistakable, unlike any disposable lighter, it was heavy and metallic - like you might imagine if a robot could snap it's fingers.
That was what he heard in the room behind him.
He decides to leave but walking towards the door he hears his name spoken, clearly.
"What do you want?"
"Michael." The voice replied without emotion.
"You are dead old man, go away!"
"As long as the clock ticks..."
"The watch, you want the watch? Take it!" Michael takes the watch from his pocket and raises it in the air as if showing it off. He tries to throw it but his arm will not move right. He tries to drop it but the harder he tries the stronger his grip. He waves his arm in front of himself before falling to his knees, defeated.
"What do you want?" Hanging his head, he can feel breath on the back of his neck, smell cigarette smoke.
"I'll be keeping watch." The voice whispers in his ear.
His hand relaxed and with a flick of his thumb opened the silver shield, revealing the face of the clock. He can see the mechanism moving through a round window in the center. Tiny delicate parts moved back and forth at a consistent rhythm while interlocked gears turned steadily.
He watched as time both moves forward but also around, back to where it started. Suddenly he understood.
"You here? I tried texting but was too busy to call." The back door closes. "Michael, you alright man?"
Michael sits motionless in a chair facing the black TV screen.
"It smells like smoke in here, since when do you smoke? You okay?"
Michael flips open the pocket watch and glances at the time before returning it to his pocket.
"As long as the clock ticks, I'll be keeping watch."
Photograph by Lucas Santos from Unsplash; Modified by @schemataobscura